ENO: Tosca

London Coliseum, 3 October 2016

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Catherine Malfitano’s Tosca takes no prisoners. This is opera at its most visceral and, certainly in this revival, full-blooded and exciting. Some may dismiss the approach as old-fashioned, but what a delight it is to be able to sit through a whole evening without having to justify what is being presented to us, or make allowances for occasional weak casting.

The brooding sets by Frank Philipp Schlossman are just on the edge of naturalism, leading us gradually across the three acts to a world that is literally on the edge. When Tosca allows herself to fall backwards into the void it is as if she is being taken up rather than jumping to her death. A magnificent end to an evening which is full of thoughtful and moving moments.

American soprano, Keri Alkema was making her ENO debut in the title role and she will be welcome back at any time. Her Tosca is credible and sung with a careless abandon quite in keeping with the production. Vissi d’arte was rightly applauded though she maintained a sense of continuity even here.

Gwyn Hughes Jones is an heroic tenor, who throws off the top lines with aplomb and, having the stamina for Wagner, was in bright voice right to the end. E lucevan le stelle was assisted, not that it needed it, by the reflective nature of the set, the voice filling the auditorium with glorious power.

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Craig Colcough, a fine Kurvenal in ENO’s recent Tristan, brings us an unusual Scarpia. This is a man who is so confident of his own power he is eternally relaxed and frequently jokey – the real threat lying with the unspeaking henchmen who surround him. His death comes as a shock to him – he can’t believe that it has come at the hands of a woman.

All the smaller parts are well characterised and I particularly enjoyed the idea of the Sacristan’s little helper.

Oleg Caetani allows the score its full force, though the introduction to act three showed unexpected sensitivity. The orchestra has lost none of its momentum over the summer and this promises to be, musically, an excellent season.

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra’s new season at Brighton Dome starts this Sunday

There is an autumnal chill in the air in the mornings and the nights are closing in, but whilst for some this heralds the onset of the winter months, the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and its regular audience are looking forward to their new season of Sunday afternoon concerts at Brighton Dome.

An array of guest soloists and conductors join the orchestra this season to play popular works by Tchaikovsky, Dvorák, Mendelssohn and Elgar as well as less well-known gems by Scriabin, Korngold, Walton and Greig. Particular highlights this side of Christmas include Sunday 6th November where the orchestra is joined by the Brighton Festival Chorus for a performance of Brahms’ Ein Deutches Requiem, and Sunday 4th December when a “Best of British Film Scores” concert promises an afternoon of wonderful classic film music. Then to liven up the festive season the orchestra presents its traditional New Year’s Eve Viennese Gala with a plethora of foot-tapping marches, polkas and waltzes from the prolific Strauss family and lots of sparkly top notes from guest soprano Rebecca Bottone (who featured in the BBC series David Starkey’s Music and Monarchy).

The season opens on Sunday 9th October with Conductor Laureate Barry Wordsworth at the helm with a programme that includes Sir William Walton’s Viola Concerto with Andriy Vytovych and Tchaikovsky’s monumental Symphony No.5.

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Tickets for all concerts range from £12-£37 with a 50% discount for students and under 18s, available from Brighton Dome Ticket Office (01273) 709709 or www.brightondome.org

For those considering coming by car, discounted parking is available for all BPO concerts at just £6 for up to five hours (from 1pm-6pm) in NCP Church Street Car Park, just a couple of minutes’ walk from Brighton Dome.

For full details of the whole season see: www.brightonphil.org.uk